Former India pacer Praveen Kumar and his son survive car crash in Meerut
Meerut, Jul 5: Former India pacer Praveen Kumar and his son had a narrow escape when his SUV collided with a trailer truck in Meerut on Tuesday night.
The accident brought back memories of Rishabh Pant's horrific car crash last year.
Kumar, a resident of Multan Nagar on Baghpat Road, was coming from Pandav Nagar in his car with his son when the incident took place, Circle officer (Civil Lines) Arvind Chaurasia said.
As soon as his car reached near the Commissioner's residence, a speeding truck rammed into his car from behind.
A case has been registered against the truck driver and he has been arrested, added Chaurasia.
The 36-year-old Kumar, who played six Tests, 68 ODIs and 10 T20s for India in a career that promised a lot more, told PTI that he and his son are doing fine.
"It could have been a lot worse. By the grace of god we are okay and I am talking to you. I had gone to drop my nephew but a massive truck hit my car from behind around 9:30pm. Thank God it was a big car, else there could have been injuries," Kumar, who lives in Meerut with his family, told PTI.
"I initially thought just the bumper would be broken but the car is badly damaged."
In December last year, stumper-batter Pant also had a miraculous escape when he dozed off at the wheel on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. His luxury car had crashed into the road divider and caught fire, leaving him with severe injuries. He is now rehabilitating.
Kumar, best known for his rare ability to swing the ball massively, had a roller coaster international career lasting just five years.
In 2020, the wily bowler had revealed his battle with depression but he is now in good shape.
Last week, Kumar had showed up at a promotional event in the national capital where West Indies star Chris Gayle also made an appearance.
Kumar has often spoken about his desire to give back to the game but he confirmed that he is not involved in any sort of coaching at the moment.
He runs a real estate business and restaurant back home.
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Several Gurugram schools receive hoax bomb threats
Gurugram (PTI): Several Gurugram schools received another hoax bomb threat emails on Wednesday morning, prompting police to launch searches on the premises.
Police said the email was sent by the 'Khalistan National Army', with threats issued to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to declare April 29 as the "40th Khalistan Declaration Day". It also threatened to bomb the Red Fort in Delhi.
Police said it was a hoax as no suspicious items were found after an intensive search.
Several schools, including Shri Ram, Amity, and the HDFC school, received threatening emails at 8.33 am, when classes had already begun, police said.
The school administrations became aware of the threats around 9 am and immediately informed the police, a senior police officer said.
The schools immediately implemented emergency protocols, with many declaring a holiday and asking parents to take their children home safely, the officer said.
A large number of anxious parents gathered outside the schools, as police and bomb squad teams reached the spots and started checks.
"Around 10 schools have approached the police from morning until now over bomb threats. Police teams are alert, and searches are underway on all the premises", the officer said.
As soon as the information about this email was received, police in Gurugram and Delhi swung into action and started investigation.
Schools immediately implemented emergency protocols upon receiving the mail. Many schools declared a holiday and sent messages to parents, asking them to take their children home. Large crowds of parents gathered outside the schools.
The schools were sanitised by sending a bomb disposal squad as well as a dog squad.
A senior police officer said that police teams thoroughly searched the school premises, classrooms, buildings, and surrounding areas. No suspicious objects or explosive materials were found during the investigation.
"Police teams are seriously investigating the entire matter. Cyber experts are being consulted to determine the authenticity of the email, its source, and the identity of the sender", added the officer.
This is the third time since January that schools have received fake bomb threats.
In March, at least a dozen schools in the city received bomb threat emails, which later turned out to be hoaxes.
Similarly, on January 28, as many as 13 schools received hoax bomb threats via email, forcing authorities to evacuate campuses and suspend classes.
Last month, police arrested a Bangladeshi national whose email ID was allegedly used to make a bomb threat for some payment.
